Kastopia - Self-titled EP Review

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Kastopia - Self-titled EP Review

Kastopia’s eponymous debut project is a rapid and uncontainable demonstration of their light-hearted and fun-first brand of fusion jazz.

Helpfully, the group have curated an excitable and varied ‘influences’ playlist on Spotify. Featuring Kamasi Washington, GoGo Penguin and TOOL, the only similarities here are a tendency for experimenting and expanding the constraints of rhythm and metre. Aptly, most of these tracks burst outwards with passion and the joy of musicianship and although the group quite accurately states in their short bio, ‘No one sounds like us’, they have certainly adopted that energetic mindset here in these three breathless tracks.

A possible strain of influences not featured on their playlist is the superhuman Japanese brand of jazz fusion such as ‘Casiopea’ and ‘Dimension’. The latter of which lent their talent to Nintendo for select Mario Kart 8 soundtracks, a game that comes to mind regularly throughout ‘Kastopia’.

Music like this where no sole part takes precedence can be a challenge to mix effectively due to a core reference point (typically vocals) being non-existent, but the production on these tracks is so solid. This is likely as a result of the musicians having an obviously adept understanding of their own instrumental tone and capabilities, but also from the pure time and care taken by the producers and mastering engineers to bring out the final dazzling qualities.

The synergy between the Kastopia members is so satisfying to hear. At times, Kastopia are so tight and intuitively intwined that they come across as a sort of hivemind that has a masterful control over all elements of its sound. However, it’s important to remember that Kastopia runs on distinct individuality and personality expressed on each instrument;

Scott Bentley’s adaptive and assertive distorted guitar, the atmospheric and mood-shifting keys from Nicholas Twine Padin, Felix Barret’s bass, commanding the rhythm section with slaps and rumbles and all three at the mercy of William Moore’s relentless and robust drumming. These make up the nuts and bolts of the new jazz fusion super power, Kastopia.

How can Jeeni support artists like Kastopia?

JEENI is a multi-channel platform for original entertainment on demand. We’re a direct service between creatives and the global audience.

• We give creatives, independent artists and performers a showcase for their talent and services. And they keep 100% of everything they make.
• We empower our audience and reward them every step of the way.
• We promise to treat our members ethically, fairly, honestly and with respect.
• Access to artist liaison and a supportive marketing team

Check out Kastopia's page on Jeeni: https://jeeni.com/?s=kastopia

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Jun

Love everything creative and want to be a blogger or a podcast creator?

Are you a professional music journalist or a music student who wants to expand your arena? Are you a collaborator or curator or a podcast creator who would like us to help you distribute your work globally? For each blog and podcast posted we will donate £10 to you and also promote your blog and podcast to all our members for FREE and encourage anyone that reads your blog or listens to your podcast to donate as well, on average bloggers an pod casters can earn from $800 to $2,000 a month. The Independent Musicians and Performers Community (IMAP) has been set up by the founders of Jeeni. Our Community is for everyone and anyone creative: musicians, voice-artists, performers, poets, singer-songwriters ... the list is endless. We connect, collaborate, share and support each other, while we have some fun and make a real difference. We are a completely independent group and have no interest in political debate in this community. We encourage our members to share their original music and performances. We scan the media every day for what support is available for musicians and performers. We make it our mission to wade through lengthy documents and policies so our members don't have to, and we grab the main highlights and takeaways to make it easy for them to absorb the plethora of information swimming around. The industry is being very responsive and coming up with lots of ideas, like allowing artists to keep earning by adding donate buttons on streaming platforms. Some organisations are making grants available, some are discounting their streaming platforms, whereas others are allowing artists and fans to sign up for free. We expect to see many online services partnering with one another to combine their overall membership offerings, such as Soundcloud and Twitch. And we are very interested to see what the major global companies do and how they respond to these new and unknown market conditions. If you fancy joining Team Jeeni as a blogger, pod caster or a contributor and want to find out more just drop me a line and we can start chatting.

06
Jun

For the Love of words - why writing it out makes the best therapy.

By Sammie Venn. Jeeni's Official Writer, Columnist and Blogger I have been an avid bookworm all my life. I used to read under the covers by torchlight when I was little and wake up bleary eyed but full of wonder. Delving into alternative worlds until the early hours, I would write stories and music imagining I was part of those mystical realms. Even though I was only 10 I understood the power of words. Their lyricism was captivating, and the songs I wrote became part of me, despite the fact that I could not hit a single note on key. My grandmother was an Opera singer, so my dulcet tones were put to shame, but it never stopped me belting out a melody in the shower as I grew older. Little did I know that verse would be my go-to therapy and expression of humanity in later life. Art in any form is therapeutic. Macklemore wrote that “Music moves people. It connects them in ways that no other medium can. It pulls heart strings. It acts as medicine” . Whether it is playing an instrument, reading, painting or writing, creative activity in any guise will have a positive impact on our mental health. Music is to the soul what words are to the mind, it’s all about turning a cacophony of phrases into poetic verse. I have always described it as a cathartic vent; enabling a confrontation between the most of powerful demons as well as deepest desires. Poetry is my chosen genre these days; it helps to make sense of chaotic thoughts in a non-sensical way. Iambic pentameter, rhythm and rhyme gives a structure to the subconscious and coherence to thought. David Richo author of “How to be an adult” said that “Our wounds are often the openings into the best and most beautiful part of us - Our tears are precious, necessary, and part of what make us such endearing creatures.” Just like a piece of music, giving your thoughts a physical shape helps them to form a new arrangement. Why not spend 10/15 minutes a day brain dumping. I always finish a liberating mind sweep with a gratitude list. It helps me to feel invigorated and more energised. Write from your heart, not your mind. Get those words down on a page, it doesn’t have to be rational, make sense to others or be the next prize winning tome. Writing therapy is about you as an individual clearing headspace for renewal and recovery. Don’t censor or perfect just let your feelings be part of a free flow process. Tune into those emotions, stay as present as you can with them and let the page hold onto them so you don’t have to. Fictionalise yourself. Create a third person version of you - I have employed this technique numerous times it is like writing for self-knowledge. The plethora of journals that sit on my bookshelves describe hope, abundance, love, passion, desire, fear and all manner of emotions in between. In understanding how I wanted to feel, I was able to get creative and fall in love with a whole new way of being. As the Beatles so appropriately said “take a sad song and make it better”. So I would like to share one of my poems with you its called “ Wild Child”.

06
Dec

Artist Focus: Barbudo

If you were to picture yourself at a beach festival, with an Aperol Spritz in hand, the funky sound of Barbudo would be sure to get you moving. The brothers Ben & Harry Stanworth plus their best friend Elliott Salter, hailing from Havant (South of England) have created their own unique blend of modern Funk, Soul and Disco, with some Psychedelic chord progressions throughout their discography. The sweet vibes of Barbudo take inspiration from Michael Jackson, Chic, The Bee Gees and Prince, artists that Ben & Harry’s parents would often play to them at home during their days out on the disco scene. Parliament, Funkadelic and Anderson .Paak are three names they said they would love to support at a live show, and this is hardly surprising considering their style! Their track ‘Realise the Reality’ I found notably brilliant, with the knock of a ‘Thundercat’ beat, but written in a major key. The song encapsulates their playful, joyful identity. You could say they make you want to talk about that ‘Secret Admirer’ (their 2018 single). Ben’s seemingly nonchalant tone is brilliantly confident and elegant, with great vocal licks and kicks that are very original and identifiable. Their track ‘Magnolia Mansion’ is a great flagship to their genre stirring pot. A classic bassline and an excellent, clean drum beat sure to get a crowd moving. Their cool use of chords on a Wurlitzer type electric piano gives a lovely chilled vibe to the verses, before the clearly disco influenced guitar brings us to the front and center stage of the ‘Magnolia Mansion’. Overall, I have been blown away by Barbudo, and await their next release. Their melodies have definitely struck a chord with me (pun intended). How can Jeeni support artists like Barbudo? JEENI is a multi-channel platform for original entertainment on demand. We’re a direct service between creatives and the global audience. • We give creatives, independent artists and performers a showcase for their talent and services. And they keep 100% of everything they make. • We empower our audience and reward them every step of the way. • We promise to treat our members ethically, fairly, honestly and with respect. • Access to artist liaison and a supportive marketing team Check out Barbudo’s Jeeni page: https://jeeni.com/?s=barbudo

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